ient may have a
remarkably quick, keen comprehension of the essential factors of any plan,
but may be unable to grasp details, while, on the other hand, the
solicitor, not knowing this, may present his proposition in such minute
detail as to confuse. Or the situation may be exactly reversed. The
client's mind may be very slow in action and demand the presentation of a
few essential facts with all of the reasons for them, or it may be very
quick in action and demand the presentation of many facts in rapid
succession, with no attempt to give reasons for them. It will thus be seen
that, even in getting down to a conclusive possession of facts, the
persuader and the persuaded may be greatly handicapped by
misunderstanding.

THE DIFFERENCE IN MOTIVES

When we proceed from fact to motive, we find even greater possibilities of
misunderstanding. To the solicitor the one all-powerful motive for the
purchase of a life insurance policy may lie in the fact that it is an
excellent investment. Unless, therefore, he understands psychology and his
client well enough to do otherwise, he may talk the investment feature and
appeal to the investment motive when dealing with a man who cares nothing
about the investment, but might respond readily and instantly if his
desire to provide for the future of his wife and children were appealed
to.

Success in persuading, therefore, depends upon two things: First,
knowledge in general as to how the human mind works; how it receives its
knowledge; how it proceeds from facts and motives to conclusions; what its
ambitions, desires, and other feelings are; how these may be aroused and,
finally, how they may provide the motive power and induce favorable
action. Second, knowledge as to how each individual human mind works; what
it's particular methods are in the obtaining of information, in reasoning
upon that information, and forming its conclusions; what its motives are
and how these motives finally induce decision and action.

The study of the first of these problems is a study of psychology. Because
knowledge in regard to it can be easily obtained in practically all of the
standard works of salesmanship, perhaps it is not necessary for us to go
into it more deeply here. Those who wish to pursue it further, may find an
exceedingly valuable discussion of it in "Influencing Men in Business," by
Walter Dill Scott; "The Art of Selling," by Arthur Frederick Sheldon, and
"The Science of Business Buildin